Wednesday 1 June 2011

Revision Session RE: Abnormality, Cognitive Approach

Cognitive Approach

All mental disorders are a result of ‘faulty thinking’ e.g. negative schema about things.

Strengths

It has been used to explain depression (Faulty beliefs about yourself which develops from negative feedback from others). Can also explain OCD (this develops as a result of faulty beliefs about the world).

Weaknesses

Can’t explain disorders such as schizophrenia, which can be best explained in terms of the biological approach.



If the cause of mental disorders is faulty thinking then the best form of treatment is to reverse faulty thinking (CBT) by, for example, changing a person’s existing belief system (cognitive restructuring)



Strengths

Therapies that use argument and example are very successful in treating depression and OCD. Also does not have the negative effects associated with other therapies that treat the same disorders (e.g. drugs have side effects).

Weaknesses

Can’t treat disorders such as schizophrenia.
Can be time consuming and expensive compared with drugs.

Revision Sessions RE: Abnormality, Psychodynamic Approach

Psychodynamic approach

All mental disorders are a result of...

-          Imbalance of the psychic apparatus (ID, EGO, SUPEREGO)

-          Memories of unpleasant things in childhood get repressed deep in the unconscious

Strengths

Can explain psychopathic personality disorder in terms of a weak or absent superego. Biological approach can’t do this.

Weaknesses

Cannot explain all mental disorders e.g. Schizophrenia which is much better explained by the biological approach.

No evidence at all that the ID, EGO and SUPEREGO exist anywhere in the brain. (Not scientific)



Treatment:

Bring the repressed memories out of the unconscious and into the conscious. Global term for this is psychoanalysis.
Two techniques are:
1) Interpretation of dreams
2) Parapraxes


Weaknesses

-There is no way of checking that an analysis interpretation of a dream is correct.
- Scientific studies suggest psychoanalysis has no benefits
-Time consuming and expensive

Revision Session RE: Abnormality, Behavioural approach

Behavioural

All mental disorders are caused by faulty learning. Mainly classical conditioning (learning by association) and operant conditioning (learning by consequences).

Strengths

Some mental disorders do have behavioural causes e.g. phobias – Little Albert – Classical conditioning; Anorexia – Vicarious reinforcement

Weaknesses

Not all mental disorders have behavioural causes e.g. schizophrenia is much better explained in biological terms



If mental disorders are caused by faulty learning, the best way to treat them is to reverse the learning.

Strengths

Systematic desensitisation
Effectiveness
Appropriate

Weaknesses

Systematic desensitisation
Depends on ability to use imagination
Limited to the treatment of phobias

Revision session RE: Biological Approach

Biological

Description of approach in terms of cause of abnormality:

All mental disorders have an underlying physical cause either brain damage, faulty regulation or brain biochemistry or genetic factors

Strengths

Some mental disorders do have physical causes e.g. schizophrenia is linked to an excess of dopamine; Alzheimers is linked to brain damage; Manic depression (Bipolar) is linked to genetic factors

Weaknesses

Not all mental disorders have physical causes e.g. Phobias are much better explained in behavioural terms.



Description of approach in terms of treatment of abnormality

If mental disorders have an underlying physical cause then the best way to treat them is physically; Drugs, ECT or psychosurgery

Strengths

Drugs – Effectiveness (Do they work?)
           - Appropriate (Should they be used?)

ECT – Effectiveness
        - Appropriate



Weaknesses

Drugs – Ethical issues (Agents of social control)
           - Associated with side effects
           - Physiological dependence (addiction)

ECT – Side effects
        - Ethical issues

Revision Session RE: Abnormality Definitions

Revision Session Notes RE: Stress

Selye’s GAS
1)   Alarm Reaction

2)   Resistance Stage – Body maintains a heightened state of physical activity (Immunosupression)


3)   Exhaustion Stage – Body becomes unable to maintain heightened activity and things start to go wrong = ‘Disease of Adaptation’ (Stress-related illness)



Research

-      Kiecolt-Glaser = Medical students = Natural killer cell activity. More stress, the less natural killer cell activity.



-      A researcher = ‘High stress’ group caring for a relation with Alzheimers compared with a low stress group. Scar tissue took an average 9 days longer to form in high-stress group.



-      Another researcher = sIgA  help defends us against influenza. Lower levels in high stress groups.



Coping Strategies

Cognitive/behavioural efforts to manage demands that are perceived as taxing or exceeding our resources.

Problem focussed coping strategies (PF)

Emotion focussed coping strategies (EF)

 Problem Focussed

Also known as optimistic strategies or coping mechanisms

These aim to deal constructively with a stressor in order to wither reduce it or terminate it.

Examples:

·        Seeking information about the stressor

·        Using social support systems

·        Formulating a plan of action (logical analysis)

·        Implementing the plan of action


Emotion Focussed

Also known as pessimistic strategies or ego defence mechanisms

They don’t deal constructively with the stressor and so whilst they might be effective in the short them, they are ineffective in the long term

Frequently used behavioural therapy is going to the pub

Cognitive strategies involved distorting reality in some way so as to deal with the stressor


Displacement:

Directing anger towards a readily available target

Denial:

Refusing to accept that something is the case

Regression:

Returning to an earlier stage of development when a behaviour reduced stress

Rationalisation:

Justifying ones behaviour or failures by plausible or socially acceptable reasons in place of a real reason

Repression:

Burying a memory deep within the ‘unconscious’ so that it is ‘forgotten’



Most people use a combination of PF and EF strategies

People only have problems when they rely exclusively on EF strategies

As a rule:

PF strategies are effective when the stressor is judged to be changeable.
EF Strategies are effective when the stressor is judged to be unchangeable

Workplace Stressors

·        Quantitative work overload or underload

·        Qualitative work overload or underload

·        Role ambiguity

·        Role conflict

·        Job security

·        Lack of a career structure

·        Interpersonal relationships (e.g. Bullying)

·        Degree of latitude

·        Degree of control



Friedman and Rosenman believed CHD was most strongly linked to diet. Research focussed on job-related stress, and the idea that personality may influence the likelihood of developing CHD. Conducted lengthy interviews with employees with CHD and employees without CHD.

Two personality types:

Type A
Non-Type A (Type B)

 Type A:

Very competitive

Would like to rapidly advance in a career

Very fast at doing things

Feel uneasy if waiting – Impatient

Always in a hurry

Hostile to the outside world

Highly self critical



Friedman and Rosenman

-To test the hypothesis that Type A personality is correlated with the development of CHD

-Type A more likely to develop CHD

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Revision answers for papers

http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/science/psychology_a_materials.php?id=03&prev=#?id=03&prev=03

All the answers to the exam questions we were given are here!